Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (Part 2)

As soon as Song Jingyan finished speaking, the "fairy" behind the willow tree immediately turned around, not even able to reach out to brush off the drooping branches. She tilted her head slightly back and extended a hand like a carved white jade to gain her trust. This hand was completely different from the pampered, easily broken hand of ten years ago. Strong veins coiled around the arm, and even though the palm was as white as jade, the thick calluses covering it were clearly visible.

He was not in a hurry to open the letter, and there was a sense of disappointment that had been prepared for him amid his anticipation.

When the letter was revealed, it began with some nonsense like "Greetings to His Highness". Bian Hongqiu scanned it quickly, but did not see the name he wanted to see. A huge sense of loss surged in his chest - even though he had experienced this countless times before.

Not seeing what he wanted to see, he took a deep breath and then calmed down to read the letter.

This letter was naturally not written by Liu Lang.

Liu Lang was on Huangque Island. If he left any evidence like this when contacting people in the city, he would be caught on the spot and it would be very troublesome. Therefore, he always passed on oral messages. Oral messages from Huangque Island had to be handed to dozens of people along the way. Finally, when they were delivered to the Liang Palace, they were transcribed by a special person.

They had planted countless spies throughout the Eighteen Continents of Zuodan, and countless letters arrived daily. Song Jingyan usually handled all the information, piecing it together for discussion during the seven-day meeting. Important matters were delivered directly to Bian Hongqiu's study.

But Rokuro's letter is a special case.

His letter came from Huangquezhou, a fortress city east of the Huai River and one of the Eighteen Continents of Zuodan. It was also the most prosperous and wealthy city. The King of Jingxi had settled here for over twenty years after fleeing to the Western Border, even rebuilding an incredibly luxurious palace. Therefore, news from this place was naturally more important than from other places.

But there is more than one secret agent here. If everyone who delivers the letter reports it to the lord immediately, wouldn’t it cause chaos?

Only this letter from Liu Lang.

Ten years ago, Bian Hongqiu led the Liang Wangfu on voyages to the Western Border, spending nearly two years integrating the Western Border Army while simultaneously defending the area and preventing the Western King from taking any further action. Gradually gaining the trust of the Western Border Army, he immediately dispatched troops. The imperial baggage was indeed never a burden, so he easily recaptured Kailanzhou within two weeks.

After arriving in Lanzhou, Liu Lang's grandmother, Li Minghe, insisted that she had seen Liu Lang's mother among the Jingxi King's retreating troops. Li Minghe and Zhang Qionggou then left the palace with Liu Lang, searching for his mother while exploring the situation within the Eighteen Continents, a small contribution they could make.

Three years ago, Li Minghe and Zhang Qionggou sneaked into the mansion of a garrison in the western border.

Bian Hong thought Liu Lang was young and couldn't do much, so it was dangerous for him to be alone. Then, another undercover agent on Huangque Island sent word that there was something very important he needed to personally verify and bring Liu Lang back to his residence. He had infiltrated the city at the wrong time, and the flood had washed away the Dragon King Temple along with the people buried by the Emperor in the capital. He had to rely on a few of his own men hiding in the city to escape at the risk of his life.

Before leaving the city, he risked his life waiting for the remaining undercover agents to bring Liu Lang back. Unexpectedly, the escort relayed Liu Lang's message, saying he had seen Meng Shizhuang in the city. He had found a way to make a living there and wanted to continue working for the palace. Finding Meng Shizhuang would be even better. He told Bian Hongqiu not to worry about him anymore, saying he would meet up with her every month according to the old schedule.

Before this letter reached Bian Hongqiu, this prince, whose lives depended on countless people, was still weighing the pros and cons. Even with several holes in his body, he still had the energy to think about how the remaining people in the city could continue to hide and how to ensure the safety of more people. Suddenly hearing this letter from an old friend he hadn't heard from for years, even he couldn't explain why, it was as if the blood hidden in the depths of his heart suddenly burst out.

At that moment, he realized clearly and absurdly that ten years ago, he had planted a seed in his own heart.

The seed took root silently, and when Bian Hongqiu himself didn't even understand it, it burst out with vigorous power.

Now, the seed has grown into a lush, towering tree between his heart and lungs.

Bian Hongqiu has always been looking directly at the tree, but he has never taken the initiative to think about the reason for the tree's growth.

Huang Quezhou's letter was in his hand. It briefly described the city's new political changes, as well as the more secretive matters Li Minghe had uncovered at the garrison. The letter concluded, "Is Rong Zhen and my brother safe in the city? I also wish to ask how Your Highness is doing. Your Highness has won the first battle and achieved what he wished for."

Bian Hongqiu only glanced at him. This brother had been tricked by Liu Lang into taking him in. This final prayer was written on every letter, regardless of who sent it. After all, the city was far from the outside, and if war broke out, all letters would be cut off. Therefore, every person lurking in the city would say this on every letter they sent, lest the war break out before the next message arrived, preventing their heartfelt words from being delivered.

He took his eyes off the letter and handed it back to Song Jingyan almost in a daze.

Three years ago, he fled Huangque Island in disgrace. Since then, he's tried many times to enter the city to investigate, but each time he's been held back by more pressing matters. At first, Liu Lang would mention in his letters that he hadn't found Meng Shizhuang yet, but he never mentioned it again.

Bian Hongqiu touched the Mulan sword at his waist—it was now too short for him, serving only as an ornament, useless and cumbersome to wear. Yet, he wore it daily. Three years had passed, he thought. Even if Liu Lang was right, perhaps Ah Shi had already left Huangque Island?

But then he thought: the herbs needed for Ju Shu's illness were still in the Western Territory. Since Ah Shi had reached Huangque Island, no matter how far he went, he would probably still be wandering around the Eighteen Continents of Zuodan. Perhaps, once he and the imperial court reclaimed the Eighteen Continents of Zuodan, they would meet again.

Bian Hongqiu breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Song Jingyan still waiting behind the weeping willow tree, he recalled how he had been causing such a ridiculous mess every month, making everyone else run around in circles. He couldn't help but laugh and whispered, "It's late, Jingyan. Please stay with me. Go back and get some rest."

Song Jingyan stood there, just as Bian Hongqiu had imagined, a time like this every month. She watched Bian Hongqiu's anticipation and anxiety, then his disappointment and renewed hope. She remembered three years ago, when Bian Hongqiu was brought back covered in wounds. He had fainted from blood loss, but he seemed to still be holding on to a glimmer of clarity, and at the sound of her voice, he struggled to hand the Mulan Sword to her.

She didn't know how serious Bian Hongqiu's injuries were, and she was so frightened by these actions that she almost fell down.

Later, she realized that Bian Hongqiu wanted to tell her that he had news about Meng Shizhuang.

In Liu Mengdie's words, His Highness's time was like the blossoming of spring flowers. Not content with simply blossoming, he also planted rice seedlings all over the Liang Palace. He first ordered a room to be prepared next to his bedroom in the main courtyard, then wandered around with the precious sword that Song Jingyan had spent years searching for.

Song Jingyan hinted at Mr. Liu a few times, but Bian Hongqiu just stubbornly felt that he was welcoming home another "relative" whom he had not seen for a long time.

He had gradually emerged as a man over the years, taking advantage of the tense situation with the King of the Western Border, the Western Border Army, and the time when His Majesty was ill in the capital and the Crown Prince was still in a state of panic as regent, and he had naturally regained his manhood. With Lanzhou already in hand, an emissary from the court secretly ordered them not to advance an inch.

It seems that they are in a standoff in the western border, but everyone has their own demands. Your Majesty wants to use the Prince Liang's Mansion to mediate in the western border, and Bian Hongqiu naturally wants to ask for some reward for his mission.

Bian Hongqiu, guilty of deceiving the emperor, feigned a return to the capital to plead guilty. A lighthearted decree of amnesty arrived, and both factions tacitly agreed to continue their alliance. When Bian Hongqiu came of age, he was appointed successor to the title, according to the old Prince of Liang's rank. The Prince of Liang's palace, taking the opportunity, held its troops in Lanzhou, deploying any remaining personnel to Xi Zhongting's side to help deal with the restive fleas in Dayu.

Now, not only the entire Prince Liang's Mansion, but also the Western Border Army stationed in Lanzhou are all under the control of Bian Hongqiu. Although he is not stubborn and self-righteous, he is not the child who used to wait for Song Jingyan to make decisions on everything.

But Song Jingyan already had a vague premonition in her heart.

She hadn't dared to bring it up before. If the window paper was exposed, the emotions and feelings hidden behind it would inevitably burst forth like a flood. The Liang Palace had managed to regain some initiative during the special wartime, but it was far from rivaling the imperial court. Bian Hongqiu's struggles in regaining her status meant she left room for negotiation in every request she made from His Majesty.

He was clear in his mind. Even if the capital was afraid to act rashly, he would not dare to be aggressive. He would give the capital three points of credit and add seven points of old friendship to it, and would ask for one point of reward half true and half false.

Song Jingyan saw every decision that affected the entire organization and felt that it couldn't be any better.

Only those related to Meng Shizhuang.

If Bian Hongqiu had not had such unexpected concerns, Meng Shizhuang would at most be a passer-by who had done a favor for the Prince Liang's Mansion, and when their fate had ended, she would have left downstream.

The Prince of Liang's mansion was now the only legitimate royal title in Dayu. Countless retainers and advisors flocked in, stayed for a while, and then, either seeking different things or finding little, left again. Bian Hongqiu had never cared so much about anyone else. Was it simply because Meng Shizhuang appeared at the perfect time during his most bewildered youth?

Song Jingyan said tactfully and directly: "Your Highness, why have you been thinking about Mr. Ju and Ah Shi for so many years?"

Bian Hongqiu didn't even think about it. The thought flowed naturally from his heart and turned into a matter of course: "Uncle Ju and A Shi both saved my life, I..." He suddenly stopped.

He wanted to say, I am very grateful to them.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, and he couldn't even hide them. The word "gratitude" seemed too light to fully express his true feelings.

Under the shimmering moonlight, Bian Hongqiu could hear the rippling water of the shimmering pond, a sound like his own increasingly distinct heartbeat. He was now an adult. For decades, Dayu had been in chaos, rituals and music crumbling. Since arriving in the Western Territory, he had been subjected to an endless stream of attempts to curry favor and test his abilities. He had seen everything from rare treasures to beautiful women of all ages.

The thought in Bian Hongqiu's mind was almost about to burst out.

At this time, a long horn sounded from the city wall of Lanzhou.

The unspoken words between Bian Hongqiu and Song Jingyan were temporarily swallowed. Qiuhe came over with a lantern. "Your Highness, Sister, General Shao sent someone to report that there was unusual movement on the Huai River from the watchtower. It's hard to see clearly at night, but we can see what looks like a warship heading towards the east bank."

Bian Hongqiu took off his coat and draped it over Song Jingyan's thin shoulders. From this angle, the moonlight flowed right between their eyes. Song Jingyan's almost frank probing had already given Bian Hongqiu the answer. With war looming, Bian Hongqiu, having been evaded for ten years, surprisingly managed to calmly suppress the anxiety welling up in his heart—perhaps he had already been deeply anxious a stick of incense before.

In short, he didn't say another word, looked at Song Jingyan deeply, and instructed with his head tilted: "Explore again."

"Go to the provincial capital and ask the governor to consolidate the frontline forces. Have the watchtowers confirm the presence of warships and their distance. Use half the river as the boundary. If they dare advance even an inch, we will use rockets to turn them into ablaze."

—

The King of Jingxi suddenly launched a night attack using a navy that had just been put together. Not only were the enemies on the other side of the Huai River confused, but even his own people were anxiously waiting for news all night.

Before daybreak, the roosters on Huangque Island crowed a few times, and the outside of the Jingxi Palace was surrounded by guests and ministers who came to ask questions and give advice.

The Jingxi Palace occupies a vast area, originally built by demolishing half of the provincial capital and half of the wealthy families on Huangque Island. Most of the people on Huangque Island are uninformed, but if you ask the dignitaries who have fled the capital or those who have reported to the capital, they will know that it was built in the style of an imperial palace.

No matter how prosperous Huangque Island might be, it couldn't squeeze its marrow and bones out of an imperial city, so the Jingxi Palace only meticulously replicated two of its palaces. The Jingxi King was arrogant and domineering, completely disregarding ancestral rituals and human ethics. He didn't even bother changing the palace's name, and he didn't worry about being called a traitor—he was one anyway. His subordinates covered their mouths and dared not speak out, which only made him think they were hypocrites.

One of the palaces he imitated was the "Tongyunhai Palace", which served as his bedroom.

There is no such thing in Emperor Xue’s palace now. It existed during the reign of Emperor Ling, but it was later abandoned to build the Forty-nine Immortal Palaces.

The most recent person who lived there was Concubine Hui during the reign of Emperor Wu, the younger sister of Prime Minister Wen who had blocked a sword for Emperor Ling.

The retainers and ministers waited for a whole night, and finally the time came for them to see the emperor, but they were invited to the "Imperial Study" one after another.

Unlike the common people, who were kept in the dark, these people, like Emperor Xue, had restored regional sovereignty and rectified livelihoods. Suddenly, a new Liang Wang, embodying the style of the old Liang Wang, emerged from nowhere, opening Lanzhou and eyeing the Western Border with a fierce eye. Ten years ago, the Western King of the Border had launched an attack on Lanzhou, and the terrified officials of Huangquezhou, who had served him for decades, thought they had finally overcome the infamy and were about to achieve their goal of serving the emperor.

Unexpectedly, the imperial court was no longer the same as it was yesterday, and they were caught off guard.

Even if the King of Jingxi is still superstitious and fearless, the relationship between heaven and earth, the emperor and his subjects, and any official who can become an official must read a few books to follow the moral code. Especially those who defected from the capital because of the bad situation in the capital, they have a butcher's knife pressing on their dreams every night at midnight, not to mention those poor scholars in Huangquezhou who have only read two books. They dare not mention it and their eyes are full of contempt.

These people first smiled bitterly at each other as they looked at the three words "Imperial Study" written by King Jingxi himself in front of the palace, then lifted up their official robes and ran into the "Imperial Study" as if their butts were on fire - they ran into the empty palace. King Jingxi did his own thing. He had sent troops on a whim before going to bed last night, and was now intoxicated by the beauties in Tongyunhai Palace.

The adults kept a calm expression, ordered a few cups of tea and planned to wait until the end.

Just as the tea was placed on the table, a general in armor entered. He had sharp, sharp eyebrows, long brows that reached his temples, and was quite handsome. However, the lower half of his face was slightly bitter, and the corners of his mouth drooped as if he had never smiled. He looked around the hall, frowning and asking, "Has the prince not arrived yet?"

In the "Imperial Study," colleagues supported and looked after each other, regardless of their time of arrival, but they were rude to the general. One civil official, undeterred by the general's sullen face, expressed a veiled expression: "General Fang, how could you possibly not know where the prince is? You've also tasted the sweetness of Yunhai Palace, haven't you?"

These words were full of anger, and were extremely harsh in their description of the King of Jingxi and the concubines in the palace.

But the attendants in the Imperial Study had all been dismissed, and the remaining civil officials, united in their response, listened in silence. The man who spoke was a local official from Huangque Island. When the King of Jingxi fled with his troops, the imperial court was in chaos, and news of the situation was slow to reach the court. The officials of Huangque Island, believing it was the King of Jingxi who had arrived to establish his fiefdom, had, in a daze, become traitors.

Later, the reason was clarified. The imperial court was so overwhelmed that His Majesty personally relinquished the Eighteen Continents of Zuo Dan. These powerless officials and scholars, unable to do anything but hang themselves, had been forced to live like the walking corpses they were. The word "forced" was placed on their head, and the general who had voluntarily defected from the capital was particularly unpleasant.

General Fang certainly had a bad temper, but there was really nothing he could do. His teeth were almost broken, and he could only leave holding his sword.

He was filled with rage, his mind completely lost as he rushed towards Tongyunhai Hall, but was naturally stopped outside. As the daylight gradually rose, his fighting spirit from the night had not yet subsided, and now his anger was further ignited. He threw everything else out of his mind and opened his mouth to shout.

A lady walked out of the hall gracefully. She was very tall, so tall that she could be compared with General Fang, the best among men. She had very little flesh on her cheeks, high cheekbones, and high brow arches. She had raised eyebrows and wide phoenix eyes. She had an aura without saying or doing anything.

She looked down at General Fang and asked, "General, are you planning to trespass into Tongyunhai Palace?"

This is the wife of the current garrison commander of Huangquezhou, and she is on good terms with Concubine Wen, who is currently the most valued concubine by the King of Jingxi.

General Fang gritted his teeth and looked around. The guards had already drawn their swords. He was immediately sobered by the cold blade and said, "I dare not." He did not dare to act presumptuously regardless of the occasion as he did when he first became a disciple of the King of Jinxi.

Seeing that his words had frightened him, the garrison's wife's eyes were tinged with a frivolous and sarcastic smile. "General Fang, you should do whatever the prince commands. General Fang, please reflect on your past actions. When you were able to make your own decisions, you couldn't protect your wife or children, and your mother, who is thicker than blood, didn't even take you seriously."

"In the capital, he was neither good at literature nor martial arts; now that he has come to the Western Territory, he can't even defeat a young man who grew up in the body of a princess."

Her eyes were almost filled with a malicious smile: "General Fang, with all due respect, you'd better not use your brain."

General Fang's chest heaved heavily, and a sweet and fishy taste burned in his throat. To avoid making a fool of himself, he had to leave in anger.

Seeing the others leave, the garrison's wife turned and walked to the palace gate. She told Concubine Wen's personal attendant there, "Now that your Majesty has finished consulting on the incense-making matter, I, your humble servant, will take my leave."

The female official agreed, and after a few polite words exchanged back and forth for a while, the garrison commander's wife took her leave.

She looked at the sky and thought that she could not delay any longer, so she took the carriage back home.

After entering the mansion, she first asked the servants "Where is the master?" and learned that the master had gone to the city wall last night and had not returned yet. She breathed a sigh of relief, returned to her room, closed the door, and immediately summoned her confidant who had been unwell and had not returned to his room since nightfall.

The young maid invited the person in and then retreated respectfully.

The garrison's wife was sitting in front of the dressing mirror. She heard footsteps stop behind her. The bronze mirror reflected Li Minghe's face, which was full of vigor and vitality and showed no sign of aging.